Chapter 15
GAUGE
The following day, I stepped out of Kane’s office at the clubhouse, tension knotting the muscles in my shoulders and burning like acid beneath my skin.
Kane and I had just finished laying out a plan for dealing with Shawn.
One that involved diplomacy at first, or at least as close as we ever came to that.
The club had decided it was necessary to give the asshole one chance to settle things quietly before we resorted to more aggressive methods.
My gut clenched as I walked toward my bike, the conversation with Kane replaying in my head.
I had to fight to keep my temper from boiling over before we even reached our destination.
By the time I made it back to The Pit, the shop was already bustling. Riley stood near one of the lifts, her attention fully focused on the bike she was tuning, completely oblivious to the intensity of my thoughts as I watched her.
I crossed the shop toward her, and the mechanics quickly gave me space, sensing the tension radiating off me as I approached. Riley glanced up, her eyes warming the moment they met mine, and something tightened in my chest.
Without giving a damn who might be watching, I gripped her hips and kissed her, not bothering to disguise exactly how badly I wanted her.
Riley’s lips softened beneath mine, her mouth opening on a soft, eager sound, and it took every ounce of my self-control not to simply drag her off to my office and see just how sturdy my desk was.
“I have to head out for some club business,” I murmured reluctantly against her lips, keeping my voice low enough that nobody else could hear me clearly. “Not sure what time I’ll be home, but it could be late. Don’t wait up.”
Riley’s brows furrowed slightly, worry flickering briefly in her gaze before she carefully masked it with a casual smile. “Is everything okay?”
I nodded, sliding my thumb gently across her cheekbone. “It will be. Trust me to handle it, yeah?”
She held my gaze for a long moment, then finally nodded, letting out a slow breath as she relaxed against me. “Always. Just be careful, okay?”
I kissed her once more, sealing the promise between us before stepping away. “I always am. I’ll see you when I get home.”
Minutes later, I was climbing onto my Harley alongside Edge, Century, Fury, and Axle. The engines roared to life, vibrations surging through the frame beneath me, a familiar thrill that usually settled my mind. But this time, it only sharpened the restless tension humming under my skin.
We rode out together, the low rumble of bikes creating a unified sound that echoed through the streets of Crossbend.
I tried to clear my head, forcing myself to remain calm as I pictured what was about to happen.
But every scenario kept coming back to the same thing—my need to wrap my hands around Shawn’s throat and make him regret ever breathing near Riley.
We parked the bikes discreetly in the back lot behind the garage where Riley used to work, far enough away that we wouldn’t draw attention until we were ready.
Edge moved beside me, clearly reading the tension radiating off me.
Century, Axle, and Fury were quiet, waiting patiently as we watched the garage’s rear exit, anticipating Shawn’s arrival.
“Gauge.” Axle kept his voice low as he watched me closely. “You going to keep it together, brother? Because your jaw looks like it’s about to break.”
I shot him a glance, feeling the weight of his question settle over me, and slowly unclenched my fists. “I’ll keep it together long enough to deliver our warning. But he better choose his words real fucking carefully.”
Edge’s mouth curved into a faint smile as he looked toward the door. “If he doesn’t do what we want, all bets are off.”
I nodded, almost hoping Shawn didn’t give in to our demands. Then I’d have permission to put the asshole through a world of pain.
It wasn’t long before the back door opened, spilling a narrow pool of fluorescent light onto the pavement as Shawn stepped out, completely unaware of what was waiting for him.
I moved quickly, closing in with the others until we’d surrounded him, trapping him neatly against the wall of the building.
Shawn’s eyes widened, his breath catching audibly in his throat as he took in the ring of bikers around him, his gaze landing directly on me.
“You remember Riley Mercer, don’t you, Shawn?” I asked, my voice deceptively quiet. “Because you and I are about to have an important conversation about exactly what you did to her and what your next move is gonna be.”
He shifted nervously from foot to foot, his eyes darting nervously between Edge, Fury, Axle, and Century before returning to me, clearly understanding the severity of his situation.
The fear radiating off him was stark enough that it should’ve satisfied me, but instead it only added to the anger simmering beneath my surface.
This man had nearly destroyed Riley’s life, and no amount of excuses or pleading would ever erase that fact from my mind.
His voice was probably shakier than he intended when he spoke. “Look, whatever she told you—”
“You might wanna choose your next words very fucking carefully,” I interrupted, stepping into Shawn’s space, close enough that he instinctively flinched backward. “Riley is mine, and if I don’t like what you say next, it’s not gonna end well for you. You understand me?”
Shawn hesitated, visibly weighing the risks as he clearly recognized he was far past the point of talking his way out of trouble. He finally nodded, his throat working convulsively as he struggled to find the right words. “Yeah, I got it.”
“Good.” I stared at him coldly, my voice dropping even lower. “Now, I’m gonna tell you what’s gonna happen next. If you do exactly what we tell you, just maybe, you won’t have to worry about what the club does to motherfuckers who mess with a Redline Kings’ woman.”
Shawn’s eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as he tried to gather enough composure to respond.
He glanced toward the other men with me, taking in their unyielding expressions and realizing there was no escape route available.
But his gaze lingered longest on Edge and Fury before returning to me.
Smart. He’d correctly identified which men in the group looked most likely to enjoy what happened next.
He dragged a shaky breath into his lungs before finally speaking, his voice strained. “I swear, man, I didn’t know she was yours—”
“I don’t give a fuck whether you knew or not,” I cut in harshly, my patience quickly fraying.
I leaned in closer, making sure every word landed exactly how I intended.
“You framed an innocent woman, threatened her, scared her so badly she ran from everything she knew. Then you sat back while she spent weeks wondering if somebody was gonna find her and finish the job. You nearly destroyed her life, asshole, and for that alone, you’ve earned yourself some broken bones, at the absolute fucking minimum. ”
I watched whatever hope he’d been clinging to die in real time.
The back lot had gone quiet around us. The sounds of traffic from the road beyond the building seemed distant, muffled beneath the steady rush of blood in my ears.
I’d spent some time imagining what I’d say to this asshole if I ever got him in front of me, and none of those imagined conversations had ended particularly well for him.
Sweat glistened at Shawn’s temples, and he kept shifting his weight like he was considering making a run for it. That would’ve been entertaining for about three seconds, until one of us caught him.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked.
“There you go. That’s the first smart thing you’ve said all night.”
I folded my arms across my chest and held his gaze. “You’re gonna turn yourself in. Tell the fucking truth about what happened and make damn sure Riley’s name gets cleared in the process. And you’re gonna do it before this gets any uglier than it already is.”
He flinched visibly at my words, his eyes darting again toward the men standing behind me, clearly sensing the seriousness of my promise. His voice rose slightly with desperation. “I can’t.”
“You fucking will,” I growled.
“No,” he whined. “You don’t understand.”
I was not in the mood for his bullshit, but I’d promised Kane to keep my shit together…for now. “Explain it to me.”
Shawn dragged both hands through his hair, his breathing getting faster with every passing second. Whatever bravado he’d possessed was long gone. Standing here surrounded by Redline Kings had apparently reminded him that actions came with consequences.
“The money wasn’t for me.” At my skeptical expression, he rushed on. “Look, if I turn myself in like you want, it’ll expose dangerous people. They’ll kill me without thinking twice about it.”
I let his words hang between us for a moment, then I smiled. Not pleasantly. The kind of smile that made grown men reconsider life choices. “Let me make sure I have this right. You’re telling me you’re afraid these people will kill you if you tell the truth.”
He nodded. “I know they will.”
“Then you’re not understanding the situation, Shawn.”
He was genuinely afraid, but it meant absolutely nothing to me.
He’d made his choices, and now it was time to pay the consequences.
When I finally spoke, my tone left no room for negotiation.
“If you don’t turn yourself in and clear Riley’s name, by the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish I’d simply let them kill you.
You think these people are dangerous? I promise you, Shawn, you’ve never experienced danger like you’ll face from me if you don’t make this right. ”
A heavy silence fell once more, Shawn visibly shrinking back, his eyes wide with genuine terror. He seemed to realize fully then that I wasn’t bluffing, that his options were rapidly dwindling, and he had no room to maneuver.
Century crossed his arms over his chest as he regarded Shawn with casual disinterest that somehow felt even more threatening. Fury and Axle stood quietly, their eyes locked firmly onto Shawn, waiting patiently for whatever order came next.
Edge had pulled out his favorite knife and was casually flipping it through his fingers, his movie-star smile curving his lips. But it was impossible to miss the slightly psycho glint in his eyes. Then he took a single step closer, and Shawn swallowed so hard his body shook with the effort.
“I’ll tell you one more time,” I growled. “Here’s how this is going to go. Turn yourself in, clear Riley’s name completely, and now you’re also gonna tell the police exactly who you’ve been funneling money to.”
I closed the small distance between us and the stark terror in his eyes satisfied a tiny part of my blood lust. “Fuck it up, and it won’t matter who else you owe—because nobody else will get the chance to lay hands on you before I do.”
Shawn nodded, clearly understanding there was no alternative.
I stepped back, allowing him room to breathe but making sure he fully understood just how close he’d come to crossing a line he’d never recover from.
Edge and the others remained silent, their presence alone backing up every word I’d spoken.
“All right.” Shawn finally found his voice again, even though it trembled noticeably. “I’ll do it. I’ll turn myself in and make sure they know Riley had nothing to do with it. I swear.”
“You better,” Edge added quietly. “Because if Gauge has to come back here, it won’t be pretty. And trust me, we’ll all be coming with him.”
Shawn nodded quickly, his expression shaken as he took in the full weight of the threat. I turned away without another word, heading back toward the bikes parked behind us. The others followed silently, none of us speaking until we reached our hogs, far enough away that Shawn wouldn’t overhear.
“Think he’ll do it?” Century asked, glancing back toward the garage, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Or should we prepare for the worst?”
Edge let out a soft, humorless laugh, shaking his head slightly. “I think he knows what’ll happen if he doesn’t. Gauge didn’t exactly leave a lot of room for confusion.”
“Good.” My voice was tight with lingering anger as I climbed onto my bike. “Because if he fucks this up, there won’t be any more conversation. He’ll be done. Permanently.”
I started the engine without another word, the vibrations calming some of the lingering tension in my body. As we rode back toward town, my thoughts turned back to Riley. I’d promised her protection, and nothing—especially a coward like Shawn—would ever make me break it.